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Down to Earth: Britain's Tim Peake has arrived home safely. Photo: Shamil Zhumatov
Moscow: An International Space Station crew including an American, a Briton and a Russian landed safely on Saturday in Kazakhstan.
The Soyuz TMA-19M capsule carrying NASA's Tim Kopra, Tim Peake of Britain and the Russian Yuri Malenchenko touched down as scheduled about 145 kilometres south-east of Zhezkazgan in Kazakhstan.
The Soyuz TMA-19M capsule carrying the astronauts back to Earth. Photo: Shamil Zhumatov
All descent manoeuvres were performed without any hitches and the crew reported feeling fine as their ship slid off the orbit and headed down to Earth.
Helicopters carrying recovery teams were circling the area as the capsule was descending slowly under a massive orange-and-white parachute.
Support crews helped the trio get out of the capsule, charred by a fiery descent through the atmosphere, and placed them in reclining chairs for a quick check-up.
The ISS crew, from left, Tim Peake, Yuri Malenchenko and Tim Kopra. Photo: Shamil Zhumatov
Squinting at the sun, Peake said he felt "elated", adding that "the smells of Earth are just so strong".
"I'd love some cool rain right now!" he said with a smile as he sat in scorching heat in his bulky spacesuit.
After a medical check-up, the crew will be flown separately to their respective bases.
The Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft lands near Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Photo: NASA
Major Peake, a 44-year-old former army helicopter pilot, has become a hero at home, helping rekindle an interest in space exploration.
He excited many at home by joining the London Marathon – from 400 kilometres above the Earth, harnessed to a treadmill aboard the ISS with a simulation of the route through London's streets playing on an iPad.
Peake finished the race in 3 hours and 35 minutes, a record for the fastest marathon in orbit, according to Guinness World Records.
In the Queen's Birthday Honours earlier this month, Peake was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, which recognises "service rendered internationally or in a foreign country".
The trio spent 186 days in space since their launch in December 2015. They have conducted hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science.
NASA astronaut Jeff Williams along with Russians Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will operate the station for three weeks until the arrival of three new crew members – American Kate Rubins, Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin and Takuya Onishi of Japan.
AP